This study presents the results of a new Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping effort that has digitized the agricultural activity currently occurring on Hawaiʻi Island. This data provides a 2012 snapshot of where, and what kind of, farming is occurring on Hawaiʻi Island and can serve as a baseline to monitor future trends in agriculture landuse. This mapping effort also helps emphasize the variability of agricultural activities that occur island wide and the regional differences that underlie existing farm activities. Each region of the island is mapped and described separately in an effort to depict not just where farming occurs but why.

The Hawaiʻi County Food Self-Sufficiency Baseline study was commissioned by the County of Hawaiʻi Research and Development Division to help inform the public and policy makers about the current status of food production on the island of Hawaiʻi. It is intended to provide a context for shaping individual and collective initiatives to help increase the island’s capability to be more food self-reliant. The report follows a recommendation in the Hawaiʻi County Agricultural Plan to set a baseline from which to measure change in the islands local food system.

About Us:

Jeffrey Melrose

Mr. Melrose is a lecturer in the field of land use planning in the Geography Department and a practicing land use planner with over 30 years of experience with agricultural land use statewide. Since the mid-1970, Jeff has held a variety of positions that give him a unique understanding of Hawaiʻi Island’s post plantation land use directions, new crop experimentation and current ag land use trends island wide.

Donna Delparte Ph.D

Dr. Delparte is an Assistant Professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and an expert in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). She has many years of professional and academic experience in the GIS field. She is co-leading the Cyberinfrastructure team at UH Hilo for the EPSCoR program that is providing geodata management, storage and web mapping services for research related to terrestrial and marine natural systems in the Hawaiian Islands.

Nick Turner

Mr. Turner, a graduate of University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo (UHH), Geography and Environmental Studies program, was the GIS Analyst for this project and completed the digitizing of agricultural uses Island wide and produced many of the graphics for this report.

The authors are particularly grateful for the contributions of the nearly 150 individuals who were interviewed or played a role in this report, graciously providing their time and insights